Once Upon Stilettos

Page 66

His eyebrows shot up. “Musicals?”
“Long story.”
We reached an intersection just as the pedestrian signal switched to WALK. I started to step off the curb, but he put his arm out in front of me, holding me back. The first thought to cross my mind was that we were under magical attack, and I hadn’t spotted it in time. I frantically looked for a walking skeleton, a harpy, or even a deranged wizard geek, but didn’t see anything. A split second later a delivery van screeched through the intersection, running the red light. My heart pounded in my chest as I turned to look at Owen. He’d gone white as a sheet. “Thanks,” I managed to gasp. I wasn’t sure what relieved me most, the fact that I hadn’t been hit by a van or the fact that it was something as ordinary as a van instead of all the other things I’d feared.
“Don’t mention it,” he replied, his voice sounding a little shaky. Both of us looked carefully before we ventured into the crosswalk. Once we reached the other side safely, he let out a long breath and said with a weak smile, “Sometimes that particular gift really has its moments.”
It was a harsh reminder of what I’d lost. My gift—which was the complete lack of magical gifts—might not be as dramatic as his, but I’d learned to rely on it, just as he used his gifts. I opened my mouth to tell him what had happened, then shut it again. I didn’t know what was going on yet. I wasn’t even sure the immunity was still gone. I needed to wait until I knew the score before I said anything. My job was based on me being immune to magic. Without that quality, I’d be just another secretary. I didn’t think I’d be fired outright, but I couldn’t be sure. They’d recruited me because I was magically immune. Would they keep me if I wasn’t?
“So how did your holiday go?” I asked Owen, hoping to distract myself from that line of thought.
“It was good. Better than I expected, actually. Possibly the best Thanksgiving I can recall.”
“Really? How so?”
He shrugged casually, but I could see that his eyes sparkled as he talked. This clearly meant more to him than he was willing to let on. “I don’t know. It wasn’t ever like we didn’t get along, but we really got along this time. We actually seemed to have a real relationship, for the first time in my life. It’s still not what I’d consider a typical parent–child relationship, but it seemed to me that they did care for me, in their own way.”
“Maybe they see you as a grown-up now, someone they can relate to as a peer. There are people who don’t know how to deal with children, but now that you’re an adult, they can get along with you.”
“That could be the case. They never had any children of their own, and I don’t think they knew quite what to do with a small child. Whatever the cause, it was a nice change of pace. I still feel like a guest in their home instead of a family member, but now I feel like a welcome guest.” He grinned. “I’m even thinking about going there for Christmas, and that’s something I usually avoid. I haven’t been invited yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I am.”
“That’s wonderful. I’m happy for you.” I couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness as I realized that I’d be away from home for Christmas. I’d managed it the year before, but I was so new to New York then. Having my parents around for Thanksgiving made me remember what a Christmas at home was like.
He gave me a sidelong glance, then looked down at the ground and said, “Could you do me a favor?”
“Sure. What?”
A faint stain of pink spread across his cheekbones. “I’d like to get them something special for Christmas, and I’m pretty much helpless when it comes to shopping. Do you think you could help me? Maybe we could go someday after work, or a Saturday afternoon.”
“Too bad you didn’t catch me while my mom was still here. She’s the shopping pro. But I’d love to help, if I can.”
“You’ve got to be better than I am.”
It was nice to know there was one thing I could still do to help, even without my magical immunity intact. I wasn’t totally useless to the entire magical community, although I doubted I could make a living as a personal shopping assistant to socially awkward wizards.
When we reached our stop and came aboveground, my heart began beating faster. This would be the moment of truth, where I learned whether or not I still had any abilities. There hadn’t yet been a morning when at least one gargoyle hadn’t stood guard on the awning over the building entrance. If I didn’t see one, it meant I’d really lost my immunity.